Tracking Vulnerability and Resilience: Gambling Careers in the Criminal Justice System
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Applied Social Science
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
May-Chahal C
(2012)
Promoting an Evidence-Informed Approach to Addressing Problem Gambling in UK Prison Populations Promoting an Evidence-Informed Approach to Addressing Problem Gambling in UK Prison Populations
in The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
May-Chahal C
(2016)
Gambling Harm and Crime Careers
in Journal of Gambling Studies
| Description | Data have been used to heighten awareness of and inform intervention and treatment needs for gambling harm within prisons. They have also been used to support calls for 'drug courts' similar to those established in the US. |
| Exploitation Route | Can be used to inform targeted interventions in prison settings for gambling problems, particularly awareness raising materials containing messages that more accurately respond to prisoner perceptions. Also may be taken forward to provide evidence for earlier intervention at the arrest and court stage based on valid prevalence data, possibly informing development of 'drug courts' as in US. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | A New Approach to Targeted Interventions for Problem Gambling in Prisons was presented to approximately 100 people from academic, treatment and industry backgrounds. Gambling and Health presented to 25 academics at the University of Manchester, specialising in mental health and addictions with little prior knowledge of problem gambling. Promoting an Evidence-Informed Approach to Addressing Problem Gambling in UK Prison Populations has received 4 abstract views and 21 downloads on the Te Pataka New Zealand (Rethinking Crime and Punishment Digital Observatory). Also cited in Turner et al. A qualitative study of programs for problem gambling in the correctional population using interviews with key informants. Final Report to the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. URL: http://www.gamblingresearch.org/content/research.php?appid=3290. Data analysis to inform intervention and treatment needs within prisons suggests that, in order to reduce both offending and gambling harm, the majority of prisoners who gamble would be helped by gambling awareness programmes/media that respond to their lived experience of gambling harm and that approximately 6,000 men and women (6.8% of all UK prisoners) could require more intensive therapeutic interventions directed specifically at their gambling behaviour. These findings were presented in the conference paper A New Approach to Targetted Interventions for Problem Gambling in Prisons to a practitioner audience. Findings have also been positively received by probation officers attending workshops in the North West of England who agreed they consider gambling harm when working with offenders in the future. A story about a spin off project measuring the impact of new gambling opportunities in Newham, associated with the opening of a large casino, has appeared on the ESRC website. Media interest in the project has continued to grow over the last 5 years and we are regularly asked to comment on gambling harm when the topic is raised when policy changes or individual stories hit the headlines. |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Membership of Responsible Gambling Trust Treatment Panel |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | http://www.responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk/about/ |
| Description | Annual International GamCare Clinical Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk prompted discussion reinforcing the importance of problem gambling awareness in prison contexts. Prof. Jon Grant, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago commented afterwards that the analysis was 'interesting'. After my talk Marc Etches (Chief Executive of the Responsible Gambling Trust) emailed to say he had noted from the presentation that the relationship between gambling behaviour and gambling-related harm is complex and the observation that not all those that score as problem gamblers on the PGSI screen appear to experience harm may prove to be significant in the further development of methods that reliably identify and measure gambling-related harm. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | GamCare Parliamentary Reception |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Research finding were discussed with industry executives and parliamentarians from both sides of the house. Prompted request to write article for gambling industry trade press |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Gambling, Crime and Health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Participants in the workshops (probation officers) were surprised to find the extent of gambling problems amongst prisoners and prompted questions on what could be done to address these difficulties. Feedback was reported as 'overwhelmingly positive' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Interview on BBC5 Live |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Programme focussed on gambling in prison and wanted to discuss findings of 'Tracking Vulnerability and Resilience in Gambling Crime Careers'. Adrian Childs interviewed Prof. Corinne May-Chahal who was asked 'What led the team to do the research' (led out previous scoping study for DCMS), 'Isn't it the case that drugs and alcohol are bigger problems than gambling?' (Yes, but these are recognised and gambling harm receives less attention, if any. Gambling harm presents a serious problem for over 12% of prisoners and only a few prisons offer treatment) 'Doesn't gambling just pass the time' (Yes, and gambling is also used for educational purposes to help with numeracy levels. Boredom is an important issue and follows into the community - gambling can be a way of stopping boredom following release - case study given from qualitative interviews), 'Theoretically can stop alcohol and drug misuse but isn't it impossible to stop gambling?' (Yes, and gambling can be fun - stopping may not be the solution. Study design followed up 'abstainers', gamblers with no problems, and problem gamblers - abstainers drew on negative personal experiences to account for not gambling. Those who gambled without problems did so by setting themselves clear limits (case study given from qualitative interviews). 'If gambling in prison was treated effectively would we see a reduction in offending, in theory?' (In theory we would given the study found 6% of prisoners linked their current offence to gambling - case study examples given). Following the broadcast Prof. May-Chahal was approached for further information by Marianne Clough from Christians Against Poverty who are working in offender rehabilitation, Ian Bartlett from GamServe who wrote 'It was good to hear some of the vital research and gathering of evidence that you have been doing and I wanted to offer you encouragement and say well done' and Paul Buck (CEO EPIC) who works with businesses to alert them to gambling harm (and gambling related offences) in the workplace. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Media interest (gambling study) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Coinslot featured findings from the pilot study in 'Prison Population Has Higher Levels of Problem Gambling' (July 29-August 4, 2011, p4). According to the Coinslot website 'The combined print and online digital turning page circulation of Coinslot is now in excess of 11,900-plus copies each week and reaches out to over 84 jurisdictions across the globe'. Prompted some interest amongst gambling industry members |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.totallygaming.com/mediapartner/coinslot-international |
| Description | Radio 5 Live Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Radio 5 Live were running a story on gambling addiction and included an interview with Corinne May-Chahal on the narratives of gamblers with problems from Tracking Resilience and Vulnerability in Gambling Crime Careers. Four different narratives were presented: 14% of male prisoners scored as problem gamblers on the PGSI of which the narratives of Joe and Chris were examples. They provided an example of both being vulnerable to gambling harm and committing offences as a result of problem gambling. Joe's story was characterised by 'loss, pain, heartache and ruination', whilst Chris 'my girlfriend left me because I was gambling and I felt depressed and everything else'. Jemma was one of the 10% of women in prison who scored as a gambler at low risk of gambling harm. She was sentenced for living off the proceeds of fraud. It is difficult to know from Jemma's story how much of her debt (and the reason for her coming into prison) was due to gambling. However, she did not associate the two. Mel - sentenced for Child Neglect and Possession of Drugs with Intent to Supply, scored as a Problem Gambler, as did 8% of the women prisoners. She also provides a further example of how drugs and gambling can be linked. Three key contacts followed up with Prof. May-Chahal after the broadcast: Paul Buck (CEO EPIC - a consultancy that works with financial sector to prevent fraud related to problem gambling); Ian Bartlett (Co-Director of GamServe, a third sector organisation that aims to help problem gamblers) and Marianne Clough, National PR Manager, Christians Against Poverty. All requested further information on the project and took various actions to follow up, including and invitation to the launch of CAP Release Groups, a pilot scheme for prisoners on release, at Westminster on February 22. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |